Gas scrubber



July 3, 1923. 1,460,490

H. G. JOHNSTON GAS S CRUBBER Filed July 16, 1920 WATER INLET 6A5 mun 7g 5 WAYE INLET II 1 2/ To PUMP I F 7 rm 14 O L 20 /76 T H 22 o 0 o 0 a 0 5; 8. 7 651 A 1 5 5 3 QQ Th3 A c 12 A q 93003 1 ZR g 7 r g 2X G o. a

0 & a 3 (Q xx X 00 f r x .5 O O O u D O D O 4. I5 77 w- OUTLET Z Patented an a, tea.

- EQRACE G. JOHNSTON, OF GGBSICANA, TE, AS$IGNOR T GENEVIEVE JOHNSTON,

L 3? CORSICANA, TE 11 one scan-nears.

application filed July 16,

To all whom it'ma concern:

Be it known that Homer G. JOHNSTON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Corsicana, in the county of Navarro and State of'lexas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gas Scrubbers; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains, to make and use the same.

This invention relates to gas scrubbers particularly designated to remove the condensible vapors and solid particles from hot gases withdrawn from a gas producer.

it is an object of my invention to efiiciently cool and clean the hot gases by causing the current of gas withdrawn from the producer to turn upon itself so that the return current may completely surround the current flowing in the opposite direction, while subjecting both currents to a cooling and washing action whereby there may be an eficient interchange of heat between the two currents and a compactness of the apparatus for washing or scrubbing the gas.

A further object is to pass the gas through a. water seal in such a manner as to prevent excessive agitation of the water constituting the seal. I

Gther more specific objects will appear in the detailed description and claims.

Thedrawing is a vertical section through an improved gas scrubber embodying my invention.

An upright cylindrical container is in dicated at 1, said container having a bottom 2 riveted or otherwise secured thereto or formed therewith so as to provide a water tight joint. A short distance above the lower portion of the container and within the same is a support for a grating shown as an annular angle member 3 riveted or bolted to the container 1, as shown. at a. Resting upon the angle member 3 is a grating or perforated support. 5 having a central annular opening at 6. The sup orting member 5 may be in the form of ra iating grate bars. The cylindrical memberl has its top closed by a cap 7 riveted or otherwise secured thereto. The cap 7 may have suitable manholes or other openings 8 therein, as desired. Extending through the top 7 and through the openin 6 in the support 5, substantially central 0 the container 1, is a gas 19%. Serial Flo. 398,665.

inlet conduit or pipe 10 having at its lower end, below the grating 5, a greatly enlarged section or hell 11, the lower edge of which extends below the level of a drain orifice 12 in communication with ,a drain pipe 13. lVithin the ipe 10 is a vertical series of ba es 1415. These baiiies may be of any approved type, I prefer to use baffles of the form shown in the drawing, consisting of alternately arranged conoidal shells in relatively reversed positions, each baflie 14 having a central opening and having its circumferential edge secured to the inner side of the tube 10, while each bafiie 15 is secured to a rod 16 passing through its apex, its circumferential edge being spaced from the wall of the tube 10. The rod 16 may be supported by spiders 17 at the upper and lower ends of the tube.

Connected with the upper end of the pipe 10 is a gas inlet pipe 18 through which hot gases from a producer may be drawn into the pipe 10. Projected centrally into the upper portion of the pipe 10 is a water p1pe 19. Encircling the pipe 10 in the upper part of the chamber is an annular pipe 20 positioned midway between the outer surface of the pipe 10 and the inner surface of the container 1. Perforations are formed in the pipe 20 whereby water entering the pipe 21, which is tapped into the pipe 20, may be forcibly sprayed downward and over the area between the pipe 10 and the inner walls of the container 1. An outlet pipe 22 is connected at or near the top of the container 1, said outlet being in communication with a pump or other means for drawing the gas into and out of the scrubbing apparatus.

- In use, the annular chamber formed by the container 1 and the pipe 10 will be filled with coke Or other suitable scrubbing materials resting upon the gratin 5. An air pump or equivalent means, wi l, in operation, draw gas through the pipe 18, throu h the pipe 10, and water seal, up through t e scrubbing material surrounding said pipe 10 to the top of the container 1, whence it will finally issue through the outlet 22. A continuous flow of water passing through pipe 19 into the" central tube 10 will mingle with" the gas passing downward through said pipe,ove'rthe bafiies, so that the gas will be cooled by contact with the water;

but

vapors of tar, oil, or other condensible matter will be condensed and carried with the water into the bottom of the container. Water flowing through the water inlet 21 will be sprayed over the top of the coke or other scrubbing material within the container 1 and the scrubbing material will be thoroughly wetted.

The water passing down through the pipe 10 and through the coke or other scrubbing material will collect in the bottom of the chamber and its level will be maintained as at 'w at-a height determined by the height of the water outlet 12 above the bottom 2. Thus the lower end of the enlarged mouthmember 11 rojects below the surface of the water and orms a water seal so that all gas issuing through the pipe 10 must pass through the water before it turns upward into the scrubbing material. The tar or oil will therefore be removed in the water seal and will float oil through the orifice 12, preferably to a collection chamber, whereafter the tar and oil may be removed from the water and saved, if desired. The water seal will also remove dust and other material so that the gas issuing from the water seal will be in a relatively clean condition. The gas then passing up through the scrubbing material 0 will be caused to spread out and take tortuous paths in contact with the wet, cool surfaces of the scrubbing material so thatby the time it reaches the upper portion of the container 1 it is adequately clean. The cooling water percolating down through the scrubbin mate rial assists in cooling the tube 10, there being an interchange of heat between the water passing down through the rid tube and that passing down through the scrubbing material and also an interchange between the oppositely flowing currents of gas. By this arrangement an eiiicient cleansing and cooling of the gases is obtained in a compact pace.

By reason of the considerable expansion ermitted by the enlargement 11 at the ower end of the pipe 10, the gas may be removed from the said tube through the water seal with such a'reduction of speed as not to cause undue agitation ofithe water, with the consequent difiiculty of keeping it at an even level and will be more widely distributed through the water seal in smaller bubbles than when the discharge end of the pipe 10 is not expanded.

Having described my invention in a manner to enable those skilled in the art to make and use the same, what I claim is:

1. In a gas scrubber, a container adapted to inclose scrubbing material and having a gas outlet at one end, a gas inlet pipe entering said container at the outlet end continuing thereintc and opening adjacent at the opposite end, bafiling means in the pipe, and

teac es means for discharging water onto said bafl fling means and into the container around said pipe.

2. n a gas scrubber, a container adapted to inclose scrubbing material and having a gas outlet at one end, a gas inlet pipe centrally arranged with respect to said container and arranged to discharge into the container at the end opposite that provided with said gas outlet, bafliing means within the pipe, means for admitting water to said pipe so that it will flow over the bames, and an annular spraying device within the container, surrounding the pipe and arranged midway between said pipe and the wallsof the container.

3. A. gas scrubber comprising a, container having a gas outlet in its upper end, a gas inlet pipe extending downward from the upper end of said container'and openin into said container near the bottom thereo said pipe being arranged centrally of the container, a grating for supporting scrubbing material near the bottom of said container above the opening in said gas inlet pipe, bafi'ies in the pipe, means for admitting water to the pipe, and means for spraying water evenly over scrubbing material resting upon the grating.

4. The combination of a container adapted to hold sealing water in its lower end, a gas outlet at its upper end, means for maintaining the sealing water at a constant level, a gas inlet pipe entering the container, ex-' tending downward therein and having its lower end disposed so as to di into the water of th water seal, means or supporting scrubbing material in the container above the water seal, bafiiing means in the gas inlet pipe within the container, and means for distributing water over the bafiing means and over the scrubbing material.

5. A gas scrubber comprising a container, a gas washing and condensing conduit having an enlarged imperforate bell open at its lower end, a drain ipe so disposed as to maintain a constantevel water seal in said container into which said bell dips, a gas outlet from said container and means for adgnitting water through and about said conuit.

6. In a gas scrubber, a container having in its lower portion a drain pipe so disposed as to maintain a constant-level water seal, a gas inlet conduit entering the upper end of the container and extending downward therein, said conduit having anenlarged imperforate bell open at its lower end below the surface of the water seal, a gas outlet at for admitting water through and about said conduit.

from coal or the h e, a contamer, a drain the upper end of the container and means L {)ipe so disposed as to maintain a constant tributed throughout the water, a gas outlet,

evel water seal in said container, a gas means for showering scrubbing water within 10 washing and condensing conduit entering the container around the-inlet conduit and said container and extending downward means for admitting water direct to said 5 therein, said conduit having an enlarger conduit. lower discharge end below the water level In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

adapted to permit the issuing gas to pass' Y upward in relatively small bu b es well dis- HORACE G. JOHNSTON. 

